New Directions Volume 25, Number 2

Fall 2006

Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

President: Dr. Marsha Jones President-Elect: Robert Davis Vice-President: Dr. Frank Holman Past President: Dr. Randy Willison Secretary: Paula Rawls Newsletter Editor: Diana Peer Treasurer: D’Anne Barrow Journal Co-Editor: Dr. Rebecca Shopfner

At Large Members: Tyronne Harris Kenneth Muldrew Peggy Woosley Joe Fisher Janice H. Warren Peggy Walter Dr. Matt McClure Karen Endel Debbie Miller Jeanie Gorham ADE Liaison: Janinne Riggs AACIA Representative: Dr. Angela Olsen Co-Op Liaison: Phoebe Bailey

Executive Director: Dr. Mary B. Gunter ASCD Regional Director: Molly McCloskey

For your calendar:

2007 AASCD Annual Conference “Closing the Gap: Ethnic, Gender, Economics”

June 24-27, 2007 Hot Springs, Arkansas

Why Close the Gaps? 2007 Conference Theme

2

Gunter’s Good Read Blue Ocean Strategies and Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships

2

2007 Conference Call for Proposals

3

Leave a Legacy! Move to Significance

5

LEAP Institute 5

Inside this Issue: Published by the AASCD Publication/Technology Committee

AASCD is striving to be an affiliate of excellence. By definition that means we must accept significant challenges. Our challenge now is to begin significant action! Many important legislative issues are being discussed at the state and national level. As educators we have opinions and insights about the issues. The question becomes: “How does my voice get heard?” Your voice is extremely important. We know what happens when educator voices are too quiet. We are placed in positions of fixing legislation after the fact. Such is the case with NCLB. Much of NCLB is worthy or our praise and support. Critical elements of it are in need of tweaking. The reauthorization of NCLB is scheduled for 2007. You may have ideas and concerns that can contribute to the reauthorization process. National ASCD has created a system to assist you in communicating with your national level legislator in a quick and easy way. To make a difference and to have a voice at the national level join the ASCD Educator Advocates network by subscribing to the following address: www.ascd.org/action center. Once you have registered you will receive:

~Action alerts to keep you connected to the Washington legislative actions. ~Sample letters and talking points that you can send to your legislator. ~Email updates that give you the “inside scoop” when Congress is in session. ~Access to the ASCD Action center where you can contact your legislator directly.

Our legislators need to hear from you. We need your help because you know what is working and what is not working. Our voices of experience are critical if the members of congress are going to create sound educational policy. This is particularly true with the reauthorization NCLB. Together we can make a difference. Please take part in this opportunity to influence the process. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Together We Can Make a Difference! Dr. Marsha Jones, AASCD President

Your AASCD Board

Page 2 Arkansas ASCD New Directions

As we approach the 21st century, the nation has come to understand that raising the achievement level of all students, from kindergarten through adult learners, is essential to America’s future economic security and social well-being. It is unfortunate that educators devote so much time and energy to articulating the curriculum and so little to perfecting instructional technique. There are certain groups of children who demonstrate a high level of intellectual potential but who do not receive appropriate educational experiences. Such children exist among non-white, limited English proficient, and culturally diverse students who do not always share the dominant middle class values and experiences represented in many public schools. Gender is a factor that must also be considered. Because of their divergent culture and the lack of middle class experiences, these children typically do not attain high scores on intelligence and achievement tests.

The theme of the 2007 AASCD Annual Conference, Closing the Gaps: Ethnic, Gender, and Economics, is intended to focus our attention on practices and strategies that have been shown to have a positive impact on the disparities that exist among identifiable groups of children. Embracing the strengths and addressing the diverse learning needs of our increas-ingly multicultural, multilingual, economic and gender sensitive student population requires a major transformation of our current school practices. Non-biased responsiveness can help establish learning environments that promote success for all learners. Closing the gaps can help ensure that no child gets left behind.

We hope you will make plans now to attend this important professional learning opportunity

June 24-27, 2007 in Hot Springs!

Why Close the Gaps? Robert Davis, 2007 Conference Chair

Blue Ocean Strategies by Kim and Mauborne published by Harvard Business School Press may be of interest to those working in a leadership capacity with our educational non-profit organizations. As stated in the preface, Blue ocean strategy challenges companies to break out of the red ocean of bloody competition by creating uncontested market space that make competition irrelevant. As professional organizations, at the national and state level, continue to struggle in various ways for their share of membership, a quick read of Blue Ocean Strategies provides insight into those organizations and companies who identified their blue oceans focusing not on the competition but on unknown market space. A read of this book will start your mind thinking innovatively of the blue oceans waiting for you to sail! For more information visit http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com.

Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships by Daniel Goleman was released in October, 2006, by Bantam Books and it soon found its way to the top of my reading list.

I continue to revisit Dr. Goleman’s previous best selling book, Emotional Intelligence, as I prepare for teaching graduate educational leadership students. So I was intrigued by Goleman’s newly released book title. In leadership preparation, I continue to emphasize the importance of relationships as pivotal to leadership effectiveness. In the beginning of Goleman’s book, he discusses neuroscience and the synthesis of the latest research in biology and brain science. Simply put, Goleman contends we are wired to connect.

In Goleman’s new book he introduces the emerging field of social neuroscience. The complexity of relationships take on a new understanding as you read about this new science. As a golfer, the chapter The Sweet Spot for Achievement caught my attention immediately. This chapter may not improve my golf game, but it does help me to better understand the impact stress and perform-ance have on optimal cognitive efficiency. Connect with your local bookstore or Amazon to get this book in your hands!

Gunter’s Good Read Dr. Mary B. Gunter’s book recommendations always challenge the AASCD Board to continue learning. We hope you will also be challenged to keep learning through reading !

ARKANSAS ASCD

CALL FOR PROPOSALS 26th Annual Conference on Assessment and Instruction

JUNE 24-27, 2007 The theme for the Arkansas ASCD 2007 summer conference is Closing the Gaps: Ethnic, Gender, and Economics. Arkansas ASCD encourages you to share your knowledge and expertise regarding best practices and effective strategies used to address these issues. Arkansas ASCD is a non-profit organization. Therefore, the organization is unable to pay an honorarium or reimburse participants for travel, hotel expenses, or registration. Program participants must pay regular conference fees. Each presentation is scheduled for 75 minutes and may be presented twice.

Please submit the following proposal by February 16, 2007 to:

Dr. Frank Holman, Small Group Sessions Chair

Cabot School District 602 N. Lincoln Street

Cabot, Arkansas 72023 e-mail: frank.holman@cps.k12.ar.us

1. Person Submitting Proposal (Please type or print)

Dr., Ms., Mr., Mrs. _____________________________________________________________

Last First Middle

Title/Position_________________________________________________________________

Institutional Affiliation___________________________________________________________

Mailing Address_______________________________________________________________

Will you be acting as a presenter (Circle One) YES NO

What grade levels will your presentation target? (Pre-K to Post High School)__________________

2. Title of Session (As you wish it to appear on the program) ___________________________________________________________________________________

3. Program Description: (50 words maximum) Please include the objectives of the program, content to be presented and the method of presenting.

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

4. Audiovisual Equipment Request _____overhead projector ____projection screen ____television ____VCR

_____laptop ____LCD projector ____ other:_________________________

5. Presenter information Please secure permission from all individuals before submitting the proposal. The contact person will be the person who completed the proposal unless it was indicated that he / she is not presenting. The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all presenters, if not previously given, should be listed.

Name__________________________________________ Phone_______________

Address__________________________________________________________________ Institutional Affiliation________________________________________________________

Name_________________________________________ Phone_______________

Address__________________________________________________________________ Institutional Affiliation________________________________________________________

Name__________________________________________ Phone______________

Address__________________________________________________________________ Institutional Affiliation________________________________________________________

Arkansas ASCD appreciates your submission.

The Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development office will be sending invoices to those who need to update their membership. Please check the month and date in the corner of your newsletter label for your membership expiration date.

Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Membership Application

Name ___________________________________________ E-Mail ______________________________________

Name of School or Organization ____________________________________________________________________

Preferred Mailing Address (Check One) Home _____ Office _____

Street ____________________________________ City ________________________ State ______ Zip ________

Page 5 Volume 25, Number 2

Please indicate your most accurate position title: � Director of Curriculum or Instruction � District Level Admin. or Specialist � Principal/Assistant Principal � Superintendent/Assistant or Associate Supt. � Supervisor � Full-time Student � Professor, Dean or other university position � Teacher � NBCT Teacher � Other (please specify) ___________________________________

Optional (needed for affiliated report): Gender: � Male � Female Age: � under 45 � over 45 Ethnicity: � Asian � Caucasian � Native American � African American � Hispanic � Other Recruiting Member ____________________ Legacy Gift from ______________________

Geographic Region: � NW � NE � SW � SE � Central

Annual Dues: $40.00 Make payable to: AASCD Mail to: Dr. Mary B. Gunter Executive Director Post Office Box 521 Russellville, AR 72811 Phone: (479) 968-0374 Fax: (479) 498-6075 � New Member � Renewal

Our AASCD theme this year is Moving from Successful to Signifi-cant. Gene Carter, the execu-tive director of ASCD has de-fined significant as actions that have a lasting impact!

You can become significant by leaving a lasting impact through a Legacy Membership to Arkansas ASCD. A Legacy membership allows you to honor someone in your professional life that would benefit from an AASCD membership. When you pay for their membership you are giving them a gift of professional connections that will last them through-out their career. Novice teachers that you have mentored, family members who have become teachers, pre-service teachers – all of these folks, and many others you can think of, will benefit from a gift of significance – an AASCD membership. Once you have designated a Legacy membership on the membership form (bottom right corner), a certificate will be sent to the recipient telling them of your gift.

Legacy Membership… Helping AASCD and You Move from Successful to Significant!

Just fill in your name on the “Legacy Gift from” line in the bottom right corner of the Membership Form below!

Dr. Marsha Jones, Dr. Mary Gunter, and Robert Davis attended the second annual ASCD Leadership for Effective Advocacy and Practice Institute (LEAP) in Washington D. C. this fall. They learned about the influences on NCLB, toured the Supreme Court, and visited with our state’s national legislators, Pryor, Ross, Boozman, and Lincoln, about NCLB and High School redesign.

LEAP Institute

Left to Right: AASCD President-Elect, Robert Davis, Executive Director, Dr. Mary B. Gunter, President, Dr. Marsha Jones and ASCD Worldwide Executive Director, Dr. Gene Carter

AASCD Newsletter Post Office Box 521

Russellville, AR 72811

New Directions

Dr. Mary B. Gunter,

Executive Director

Dr. Marsha Jones,

President

AASCD Mission

AASCD Goals

Arkansas ASCD, a diverse group of educators, is dedicated to the development

and support of leadership and best practices in curriculum, instruction,

assessment and supervision that ensures success for all learners.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Permit #325 Russellville,

Arkansas 72801

1. AASCD will lead the effort to influence teaching/learning policy development.

2. AASCD will provide programs, products and services that facilitate the development of visionary educational leaders.

3. AASCD will provide a broad-based system of communication that is effective and efficient.

4. AASCD will build a diverse, broad-based and involved membership reflective of the state.

We’re on the web!

http://www.arkansasascd.org